Biography

A classic stage actor (Racine's "Brittanicus") and then star and supporting actor in European and American film adventures, he turned to comedy as a director and helmed a string of successful comedies featuring his country's top actors (Bourvil, Louis de Funès, Jean-Paul Belmondo, etc.) His Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At! (1966) retains the record for attendance by a French movie, and was only dethroned as the top ticket-seller ever in France by Titanic (1997).

He was the son of a Jewish violinist. He left France in 1940 to escape the Nazi occupation, but returned after the war. He started out as an actor, and became a director in 1959. Although his films were comedies, they usually dealt with serious issues such as racism. He once said that his films "dealt with serious things by making people laugh".

Played Napoléon twice in films - Sea Devils (1953) with Rock Hudson and Yvonne De Carlo, and "Loves of Three Queens" (1954) (Loves of Three Queens (1954)) with Hedy Lamarr as his Joséphine.

Educated at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Art and a one-time member of the Comédie-Française.

Collaborated with daughter Danièle Thompson on several of his screenplays, including "Don't Look Now" (1969) (Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At! (1966)) and Lévy et Goliath (1987). In turn, Danièle collaborated with her son and Gérard's grandson, Christopher Thompson, on several screenplays, including The Log (1999) and "Jet Lag" (2002) (Jet Lag (2002).